Standard IV poles are typically telescopic in nature and rely on a tension screw/handle system or a rotating friction ring to adjust the IV hanging apparatus. This arrangement is always a two-handed method and after some service use, this tension based system usually fails to hold the telescoping pole in the correct position. There have been instances where the weight of the hanging IV fluids (or irrigations) has caused the telescoping arrangement to collapse causing injury to both patients and care providers.
There are many articles supporting the rise of hospital acquired infections originating from numerous high touch surface areas located within patient care environments, especially in the operating room and intensive care unit environments. The standard IV pole designs have multiple non-linear surface areas that are difficult to clean.
The IV pole is intended to hold IV pumps that must be plugged into an outlet for operation. In the operating room there are also many other products that utilize a simple power strip apparatus in addition to the pole. Furthermore, the use of fluid warmers and warm air blowing devices that warm patients during surgery are necessary and must use local receptacle outlets. Sometimes the IV pole power strips are used for other devices in the operating room necessary for surgery. These current receptacle designs are cumbersome. They are in a fixed position in relation to the devices plugged into them. As the IV pole must be freely movable and adjusted in relation to the operating room table or bed, this fixed receptacle position causes a tethering effect which is difficult to position with multiple fixed plugged wire projection points. This arrangement also causes a significant and well documented tripping hazard.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), hospital acquired infections (“HAIs”) occurred in over 700,000 patients in 2011. Approximately 75,000 patients lost their lives as a result of the infections. It is estimated that one in twenty five patients will become infected, increasing their rate of prolonged hospital stay from seven to nine days. Furthermore it is estimated that seventy percent of these infections are preventable.
Common pathogens such as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (“MRSA”), Hepatitis, Clostridium difficile (“C. diff”), Escherichia coli (“E. coli”), and countless others organisms (viral, bacterial, spore, and prion) can come from many common sources. The continued pathogenicity of these bio organisms and emergence of superbugs have come to the forefront due to their morbidity and their mortality. “Superbugs” are strains of bacteria that are resistant to several types of antibiotics. According to the CDC, these drug-resistant bacteria infect more than two million people nationwide and kill at least 23,000 annually. These superbugs are outpacing the industry's ability to fight infections via new forms of antibiotics.
There are many factors that contribute to the prevalence of these infections. Patient morbidity relating to long standing chronic illness or diseases such as obesity, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (“COPD”), cancers, etc., greatly contribute to a patient's susceptibility to these pathogens. These factors along with a patient's admittance for surgery and subsequent stay also add to a patient's risk for infection.
While antibiotic use is one deterrent to these infections, attention is turning toward the role of the care environment in the transfer of pathogens. Care providers and the care environment are known vectors in just about every research or literature publication relating to infections and infection control. There are many reasons for this close relation between care environment and infections. These issues are just as multifactorial as the patient's risk factors.
Hand washing, adequate staffing, correct environmental cleaning and decontamination standards, and a host of other foundations of care can contribute to the spread of pathogens if they are not done correctly as per accepted regimens. This relationship between care related factors and the spread of pathogens is especially true for high touch surface areas located within these care environments. New technologies relating to decontaminating these environmental surfaces include hydrogen peroxide aerosols and short wavelength ultraviolet radiation (“UV-C”) technologies, also known as Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), as a secondary modality to common environmental cleaning regimens.
High touch surface areas such as, but not limited to, door knobs, bed rails, and IV poles are known vectors of pathogens. For care providers, it is easy to transfer pathogens even with gloved hands to patients when performing common duties in respect to patient care.
Out of all of these surfaces, the IV pole or stand is a well-known vector for infection. IV poles are commonly handled by care provides while patients use IV poles to ambulate into other areas. It is very common for IV poles to be transferred to different care areas.
Accordingly, there is a need for an IV pole with individually, one-hand adjustable rings for supporting different IV bags with different volume and flow requirements. There is also a need for an improved electrical system that provides greater versatility and flexibility and that provides for providing power from a first IV pole to a second IV pole. There is also a need for a base for an IV pole having a unique shape with clean lines and minimal surface areas and with the casters protected from contamination, for promoting infection control. There is also a need for an IV pole having an onboard UV-C LED light system for infection control.